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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: shower · plane · prune · stock · tube · root · stand · suit

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. suit — clothes
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. root — of a plant
  6. plane — a tool
  7. suit — to fit
  8. shower — to wash
  9. suit — in cards
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. tube — a container
  13. stock — shares
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. tube — the underground
  16. shower — rain
  17. prune — to trim
  18. root — of a word
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. stock — goods
  24. root — the cause

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com